Resisting Temptation

March 2015

Eating clean is not an easy task in today’s modern society.Not only do you have to be super organised and prepare most of your own meals but temptation is everywhere!So how do you resist?How do you not give in when cakes, chocolates and all sorts of naughties are offered to you? How do you overcome that urge to buy a treat because you had a bad day…? How do you stop yourself from devouring the ice cream in the freezer that you cant stop thinking about..?

Working in an office is the hardest!Morning teas every other day, drinks and nibbles and the stressful nature of the corporate grind sees most of us reaching for caffeine and/or sugar to simply get through the day.I have worked in an office all my life and I have recently finished working for an organisation whose main product is bread.All types of bread including crumpets, pikelets and raison toast are free to all staff and available in all kitchens all day! Plus all staff are eligible for a free loaf to take home every day. I LOVE bread! But it is not part of my diet and I only have it on my cheat night. The office smells of toast all day! Gees; talk about testing me! so how do I overcome the temptation?

For starters with the way my diet is structured my blood sugar levels are always stable.Cravings come from a number of sources but the physical desire comes from a drop in sugar in your blood stream. Whenever you consume sugar or “bad” carbs (bread!) insulin is spiked to reduce the sudden surge of sugar and drops again once under control. As I don’t consume these naughties, other than cheat night, I don’t experiences these highs and lows so my body is better equipped to resist on a physical level.

However!The smell of toast… the smell of food in general.The visual daily display of cakes and chocolates that we all seem to have to endure taps into the emotional aspect of cravings. And if you feel stressed, cranky, teary and any other emotion of course these foods are of comfort. And apart from anything else they taste good!

So back to the original question; what do I do to ensure I don’t give in?Despite my body being in premium condition to cope it is still very hard for me too. Here are my top 6 tips:

Cheat Meal– Having a cheat meal once week, in my opinion, is paramount to resisting.If you know you can have whatever you want one meal (not day!) a week then you don’t feel like you are missing out altogether.

Eating Regularly– I eat 5 -6 meals a day so I am eating every few hours.Number of reasons why this is important but for the sake of resisting temptation if you are eating regularly then your tummy is generally always full.When you are not starving your self control is stronger.And I always make sure I eat before I go to morning tea!

Preparation– I take my food with me where ever I go.I don’t put myself in a position of having to walk into a shop and buy a meal.It is not easy to buy the food I eat and I don’t want to be standing there looking, smelling and trying to resist temptation.

Keep only healthy food at home– if you don’t have naughties in the fridge or cupboard they are harder to access when that urge comes over you after dinner. Have fruit available so if you do give in to the sweet tooth you are at least giving your body good nutrients.

Green tea– and lots of it!I always ensure I have a cup of tea in my hand during morning teas.Keeps my hands and taste buds busy.Yes I know it is not the same…

Water – 2 litres a day minimum. And try and have two big glasses of water BEFORE you give in to temptation; you will then at least eat less of the indulgence.

Like anything in life the more you practise, the more you make clean eating a habit, it does become easier.Also too, I am well known for my healthy lifestyle so I am bypassed with offerings which helps! I am proud to be the strong one and my health, weight and looking nowhere near my age speaks for itself. Make yourself the source of admiration and you will receive encouragement and support. And you might just find yourself being a positive influence on those around you which is so cool!